Advanced manufacturing research includes the investigation of new production methods for advanced products, studying process parameters of new processes, and understanding the interaction of processes in advanced manufacturing systems. Current IMSE efforts in this area include rapid manufacturing systems, advanced metrology and inspection, control and automation systems, and industrial energy efficiency.

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    Developing new automated systems for manufacturing operations

    By integrating geometric modeling with process control principles, we are developing new automated systems for manufacturing operations. Examples include an automated metal part grinding system, a 4-axis automated welding machine and a rapid manufacturing system for metal casting patterns.

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    Investigating new methods for measuring and monitoring systems

    We are researching advanced imaging systems for efficiency studies and monitoring temperature profiles for heat treatment of metal castings. Our researchers have developed cutting-edge tools that have improved real industry processes, like an inspection mapping software package that can efficiently track defects in manufactured parts using a 3D CAD model.

Facilities that foster innovation

Faculty Expertise

Matt Frank portrait

Matt Frank

John B. Slater Professor of Sustainable Design & Manufacturing, Professor

Research interests: CAD/CAM; additive manufacturing; design for manufacturing

Rapid manufacturing projects: automated machining; rapid pattern tooling; hybrid manufacturing; additive metal post processing


Jakob Hamilton

Assistant Professor

Research interests: additive manufacturing; in-situ monitoring and control; material-process development; repair and remanufacturing; additive toolpath generation; lattice and topology optimization

3D printing of dissimilar materials: aerospace materials (Inconel, Co-Cr); agricultural and transportation (cast iron, stainless steel)


John Jackman portrait

John Jackman

Associate Professor

Form estimation models: hierarchical bayesian analysis; Shannon sampling models; Lp norm models

Optical inspection of surfaces: image processing methods; segmentation techniques; feature characterizations metrics


Bin Li portrait

Bin Li

Associate Professor

Research interests: thermomechanical processing of alloys; heat treating; welding; casting of metals and alloys; computation-guided alloy design and manufacturing

Processing microstructure properties of materials: materials characterization; mechanical behavior of lightweight alloys; deformation twinning; phase transformation


Leon Liao

Associate Professor

Laser-assisted advanced manufacturing: laser-based metal 3D printing; laser shock processing; modeling of laser-matter interaction

Micro/nanoscale manufacturing of functional materials: supercapacitor and battery; soft devices and robotics

Advanced processing of engineering materials: improved durability: fatigue, tribology, corrosion resistance; surface engineering; multi-scale computational modeling: process-microstructure-property


Frank Peters

Frank Peters

C. G. “Turk” and Joyce A. Therkildsen Professor, Associate Professor

Manufacturing system improvement: digital characterization of casting surfaces; automation solutions for short run products; geometry variability in manufacturing; reducing measurement error in NDE processes

Product design and realization: rapid tooling production; design for manufacturability analysis


Leslie Potter

Leslie Potter

Distinguished Teaching Professor

Engineering education research: lean manufacturing and continuous improvement education; engineering education assessment; engineering communication

Teaching: first-year engineering problem solving and professional skills; programming; process and system improvement